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Compare And Contrast Grendel And Beowulf

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Many people change in certain situations they are presented in according to different cultures and religious views. Every culture has different perspectives and views of their heroes. In the epic Beowulf (Heaney 2000) and the film Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson 2005) you can see how each have different values and beliefs of the mighty geat hero Beowulf. Even though they illustrate the same language and culture they differ in many ways. Throughout the film, Beowulf and Grendel, Beowulf’s character changes over the course of the film illustrating to us the idea that it is not easy to comprehend what the difference is between what is good and evil in a culture. Unlike the film, the epic reveals a Beowulf that never undergoes any changes of belief that Grendel is evil and a monster. In the epic Beowulf is seen and praised as a hero and a god that does everything for the greater good of humanity. He is said to have no imperfections and most of all to have inhuman strength that is noticeable throughout the epic. In past times …show more content…

We see where they induce our modern principles of thinking and acting by showing us how he deals with Grendel’s death and how his view of him change after that.They show us how he is confronted with the son of Grendel and spares his life without thinking. This shows us that Beowulf has a heart and takes his feelings into consideration about the situation that is presented before him, which is a modern action that would be considered in our culture now.Was this an act of guilt or remorse we don't know, but this does not happen in the book and it is a sign that in today's culture we feel for the things we do wrong no matter what is good or what is bad. it shows the difference that our two cultures have that one doesn't value the true meaning of good and evil while the other takes into consideration both sides and is more

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576 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout John Garder’s novel and the poem Beowolf the reader can tell that Grendel is a complex character that does not relate much to anyone else in the novel or the poem. Grendel in Garder’s novel is also different compared to the Grendel in the poem Beowolf by many different standards. Grendel in Garder’s novel is more a complicated character then the Grendel in Beowolf because the novel is set in first person point of view, the reader can have a deeper understanding of Grendel in the novel, and there is more modern philosophy in Grendel the novel. The novel Grendel is all written in first person which gives a deeper understanding of how Grendel interprets what is happening and how he reacts too many of the conflicts that happen to him.

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1787 Words | 8 Pages

The Wyrd Cross between Christianity and Fate in Beowulf/Grendel The poem Beowulf, authored by an anonymous person, remains to be one of the oldest epics in the Anglo-Saxon tradition. The poem serves as an important influence for later literature; the novel Grendel by John Gardner is one example. The settings of Beowulf and Grendel are a result of the assimilation of Christianity into the Anglo-Saxon pagan religion. Not only did the Anglo-Saxons belief in spiritual predestination but also in fatalism.

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817 Words | 4 Pages

Complexity was added to Grendel’s character in the film due to the fact that, in Beowulf, the writer uses simplistic duality throughout the epic poem. The film modifies the simplistic duality used in the epic poem by adding a backstory to Grendel’s character. Instead of being seen as a monster committing senseless murders, he can be seen as compassionate, caring, and knowledgeable of his actions. The film shows his compassionate and caring side through his connection to the witch. In the film, the viewer can see that Grendel protects the witch from people who try to hurt her,

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621 Words | 3 Pages

John Gardner author of Grendel and an Unknown author of Beowulf wrote these to compare one another into one mega story. Grendel is about a "monster" who has been at war with humans for over 12 years. Over time he became fascinated by the way that humans live. At the end, Beowulf fights Grendel, and Beowulf pulled his arm off, and then runs away. Beowulf is about how the Danes built a great mead hall to gather and Grendel came and ruined it, killing a lot of the Danes in the process.

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1500 Words | 6 Pages

Beowulf learns, at the end of his life, how to accept all that the good and the bad that he has done in his lifetime. He reflects upon his life decisions and regrets none, which allows Beowulf to welcome death with open arms, not fearing blame from “the Ruler of mankind” (line 2741). Through Beowulf’s final words, the reader may recognize the cultural values of trustworthiness, responsibility, and

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697 Words | 3 Pages

In the case of Beowulf he was seen as someone who helped the town and was doing it for the people. That was not the case he was only doing it for the money and the power that it gave him. He was being praised by everyone and he knew that he was going to be rewarded. Beowulf did not take the time to get to know Grendel even when he was not harming anyone. Beowulf just started bothering him and later since Grendel was startled it made them believe he was bad.

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968 Words | 4 Pages

Argument Essay: Beowulf and Grendel Many people have read or heard of the epic poem of Beowulf, which spins a tale of Grendel, the monster, attacking the admirable Danes and their king, Hrothgar. Some may not be as aware of a book titled Grendel written by John Gardner in 1971. Gardner’s book tells a completely different account of the more familiar tale of Beowulf, from the perspective of Grendel, the monster. The narrator from Grendel portrays a more plausible, powerful story than the excerpt from Beowulf by drawing the reader in with a more emotional viewpoint from the character Grendel, making him more relatable by giving him humanlike qualities, and clarifying why certain events took place in Beowulf.

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685 Words | 3 Pages

Beowulf is an Old English epic poem about a leader of the Geats, a Swedish clan, who defeats three monstrous creatures. The novel Grendel, written by John Gardener tells the old tale in the perspective of one of the monsters. This novel reveals many philosophical messages and also the different mindsets and emotional structure between humans and creatures, specifically monsters. Both novels differ majorly due to the different choice of perspectives. The novel written by John Gardner is much more complicated plot wise.

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1285 Words | 6 Pages

In the poem Beowulf, there is a contrast between good and evil. This distinction is presented through the monsters Grendel and his mother, in parallel to the hero Beowulf. The themes of evil and monstrosity are therefore used in the story, as a way to create the notion of Grendel and his mother as monsters. Beowulf therefore appears as a character representing good. Although Beowulf shows traits of abnormal power, like Grendel and his mother, his motifs are interpreted differently.

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472 Words | 2 Pages

In “Beowulf,” there are many concepts of good and evil portrayed in the epic poem by an unknown author. Beowulf brings good to the Geats. The people would say he was a gift from the Gods to battle and demolish the evil. The monsters, however, cause trouble to the people and bring out the evil in everything. These elements of good and evil help define this an epic poem.

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637 Words | 3 Pages

The common characteristics of what makes a monster have remained constant throughout society: evil, isolated, violent. Monsters have no regards for social normatives, and cause chaos and destruction wherever they go. Grendel is no exception. In Beowulf, Grendel manifests every characteristic of a stereotypical monster. He is considered inherently evil, and is an outcast; he roams alone and commits devilish atrocities whenever he pleases.

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580 Words | 3 Pages

In the epic poem, Beowulf, there are clear distinctions between an epic hero and a monster. Beowulf is the prime example of a epic hero possessing characteristics such as superior strength, courage, and loyalty. On the other hand, Grendel and Grendel’s mother are characteristized as evil and immoral based off of their actions. These characteristics are presented throughout the poem, and monsters are given grotesque, hideous appearances to further prove that they are evil. After Beowulf kills Grendel, Grendel’s mother reaction revealed how the full presentation of a character can allow readers to react differently than before and even sympathized with them.

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1008 Words | 5 Pages

Thus allowing the reader to interpret the tone better because of how Grendel expresses his feeling. On the other hand, Beowulf gives the reader a generalization of how he sees society. Plain and simple. Beowulf only sees the world as good and evil, black and white, there is no gray area, causing the tone to be bland and boring due to no detail or unexpected turns. Beowulf overlooks society as a horrible place that only " the vicious raids and ravages of Grendel, his long and unrelenting feud, nothing but war...young and old were hunted down by the death shadow" (line 151-160).

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1033 Words | 5 Pages

The epic poem Beowulf is a classic tale of good versus evil. Good, as shown in the story, is any action that fights evil and defends the community and the people of it. The evil intent of Grendel, the story’s antagonist and cannibalistic murderer, who is depicted as a “fiend out of hell” (99), is strongly countered by the heroic actions of the stories main protagonist, Beowulf. The noble King Hrothgar is a role model for young Beowulf at the beginning of the epic, displaying acts of charity and wisdom throughout his life.

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752 Words | 4 Pages

Grendel in both stories is described as a vicious "Monster", but is viewed differently. The character of Grendel, in the novel by John Gardner, portrays a different visualization than that of Grendel in the epic poem Beowulf. In the novel the story is told in first person point of view which gives Grendel human qualities while Grendel in Beowulf is told in third person point of view not giving Grendel his standpoint. In both works, the authors give two different perspectives of Grendel. Grendel in the novel is not seen as a "Monster", but as a human that has emotions and is very sympathetic about everything that comes his way.

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